Honey Boo Boo’s mom has terrible taste in men

This is one of the uglier stories to come out of reality television lately. TMZ is reporting that Mama June is dating a convicted child molester.

Fans already know that the matriarch of Honey Boo Boo‘s family split from Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson back in September. Although the two were never legally married, they did exchange vows in May 2013 on the Here Comes Honey Boo Boo show.

Honey Boo Boo keeps up with the Kardashians for Halloween

The man in question, Mark McDaniel, was convicted of aggravated child molestation of an 8-year-old back in 2004. Mama June was dating the offender at the time. He served 10 years in prison and was released in March. McDaniel is a registered sex offender in the state of Georgia.

While the victim’s name will not be released, TMZ indicated that it is someone with whom Mama June is in contact. It also leads many to question her choice in men given that her daughter is only 9 years old.

The gossip site has photos of the two in a hotel room and their source has revealed that the reality star has been showering him with gifts.

5 Tips Kate Middleton can learn from Honey Boo Boo’s mom

TLC was not aware of the allegations until TMZ contacted them. In an official statement on Thursday, a rep said, “TLC is not currently in production on Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. We are very concerned about this new information and are reassessing the future of the series.”

The big concern is why Mama June even thinks having McDaniel in her life is a good idea. According to Georgia Sex Offense Law, “Some registered offenders are prohibited from living or working certain distances from child care facilities, churches, schools, or areas where minors congregate. Failure to maintain this distance may result in further penalty or civil liability.”

While McDaniel cannot reside or work in certain areas, it is up to a family to decide whether to bring a sex offender into the family. There’s been no confirmation that Honey Boo Boo has had recent contact with the criminal, but it’s certainly raising a few eyebrows.